What is frustration in psychology? Definition of the concept, types, signs, correction

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Modern man in his active and turbulent life often faces great disappointments. Situations where all hopes are dashed are no exception. Faced with such problems, many people, realizing that their desires are unattainable, fall into a certain mental state, which is called “frustration.”

This has happened in everyone's life. However, not everyone during this period realizes that their condition bears just such a name. What is frustration in psychology? This is a special behavioral mechanism, the action of which is accompanied by an experience, as well as a number of negative emotions that are caused by disappointment. A similar phenomenon in people's lives is a regularity. That is why avoiding frustration is not always possible. It is worth noting that it can occur in any person, regardless of age, social status and gender.

What is frustration in psychology?Is this condition dangerous for a person and how to get rid of it? Consider further.

Definition of concept

The phenomena of anxiety, crisis, stress and frustration in psychology are studied, as a rule, in a complex. Each of them is considered a negative state that has arisen in a person. At the same time, their manifestations are very similar to each other.

What is frustration in psychology in simple terms? This is one form of stress. Approximately the same sensations cause frustration and anxiety in a person.

So what is invested in the meaning of the concept under consideration and what distinguishes it from the above listed number of phenomena? Based on the meaning of the word "frustration" in psychology, which can be found in specialized dictionaries, this term refers to a special emotional state that occurs in a person in cases where he fails to satisfy a need or achieve a goal. In this case, the individual will certainly have various negative emotions. Among them are disappointment and guilt, anxiety, anger, etc.

There is another interpretation of what frustration is in psychology. It considers a similar mechanism for the emergence of negative emotions as a situation where a person's desires do not coincide with his capabilities. This leads to irritation, tension, and sometimes despair in the individual.

Frustration in psychology is also a violation of inner harmony, which a person tries to restore by any means in order to satisfy his currentneed.

Reasons

Is frustration possible in every situation? There is no single answer to this question. After all, the description of frustration in psychology is necessarily accompanied by taking into account the characteristics of a person's character. That is, it is important to consider how resilient a particular individual is to difficulties, and how successfully he is able to fight the problems that arise in his path. In addition to the character of a person, his general physical condition is also important. It also has a certain influence on the development of the state of frustration.

The emergence of negative emotions is also facilitated by individual elements that are characteristic of a particular situation. This is the power of motivation to meet needs (achievement of goals), as well as a barrier that prevents this.

There are also different types of frustration in psychology. They are external (lack of money, loss of a loved one) and internal (loss of performance and disappointment in one's expectations).

Besides this, the state of frustration is delimited by psychology according to its motives and barriers. That is, for the reasons that caused mental discomfort.

So, a variety of barriers can generate frustration. They can be:

• physical (walls of a room that cannot be left, not enough money);
• psychological (doubts and fears);
• biological (age-related deterioration of the body, diseases);
• sociocultural (social rules and norms).

The American psychologist Kurt Lewin proposed another kind of reasons. These include ideological barriers. With their help, adults are able to control the behavior of children. Ideological barriers are considered a subspecies of socio-cultural barriers.

A contributing factor to frustration is the frequency with which a person fails to meet their own needs, as well as their attitude towards attempts that ended in failure. Such a condition is capable of rapidly progressing. At the same time, a person begins to lose faith in his strength and self-respect.

Sometimes even the smallest events and changes provoke frustration. But in cases where the cause of such a state is external factors, the process of adaptation to changing conditions is much easier. The situation with internal causes is much more complicated. In their presence, people sometimes bring themselves to depression and a nervous breakdown.

Love frustration

A separate cause of an individual's mental discomfort is his failures on the personal front. This state of frustration in psychology has its own characteristic feature. It is expressed in the presence of a constructive effect, that is, in the purposeful attempts of a person to change the situation. After all, the one who suffers from the loss of love continues to feel a strong attraction to the partner by whom he was rejected.

In this case, the state of frustration in psychology is characterized by a certain dependence on a person of the opposite sex, with whom relations have been destroyed. At the same time, the personality becomes capable of inadequatedeeds. In such cases, frustration and aggression, irritability and anger are considered in social psychology. A person becomes dependent on his condition, constantly feeling an ever-increasing sense of anxiety. People who have spiritual maturity and willpower can cope with such a situation quite well. However, in the absence of these qualities, a person is capable of committing an illegal act leading to a crime. That is why the concept of "frustration" is also considered in legal psychology.

Freud's Theory

What is frustration in psychology in simple terms? This term arose thanks to Freud's theory. This scientist believed that the elements of the psyche are:

• Eid - unconscious drives.
• Ego is a person's intermediary between the outside world and the inner world.
• Super-Ego is the moral code that holds back the Eid.

According to Freud's theory, frustration is a state when a person's drives, generated by the Id, are suppressed by the "censor" in the form of the Super-Ego.

The constant struggle between these two elements leads to numerous negative reactions.

According to Maslow

The author of the well-known theory of needs also spoke about frustration. It is interesting that, according to his opinion, the manifestations of such a state are sometimes inversely proportional to the pyramid compiled by the scientist, which reflects the hierarchy of human needs. In what way does this manifest itself? Consider examples from life. So, the person did not have time to go to the store to buy for himselffavorite pizza. In the evening, he will remain hungry, not satisfying his physiological need. The second example is the receipt of a new position by another employee, which did not give the person the opportunity to express himself. In which case will his feelings be the strongest? Of course, in the second.

And this despite the fact that the physiological need, according to Maslow's pyramid, is in the first place. At the same time, the psychologist makes another very interesting observation. He is convinced that a person who has not satisfied the needs of the highest level will become a victim of frustration, since he will not be able to satisfy the needs of the next stages. In other words, for someone who has problems with housing, a failed date will not be so serious. It is from this point of view that the psychology of needs views frustration.

Other theories

What is frustration in psychology? This term is understood as a state that manifests itself in the form of failure and deceit, vain expectation and disorder of intentions. Such emotions are considered traumatic for a person.

To give a brief definition of frustration in psychology, it is a state that, according to Farber and Brown, is the result of conditions that contribute to the prevention and inhibition of expected reactions.

Lawson interprets this position somewhat differently. In his opinion, the definition of frustration in psychology is a conflict of two tendencies. They are purpose and reaction.

There is also the opinion of Childe and Waterhouse. If we consider their description of frustration briefly, this is a fact of interference in psychology that has a direct effect on the human body. In this case, the individual experiences characteristic experiences. His behavior is also changing, which is caused by insurmountable difficulties that stand in the way leading to the goal.

According to Mayer, human behavior is expressed by two potentials. The first of these is the behavioral repertoire. It is determined by life experience, heredity and developmental conditions. The second potential is the electoral or selection processes. This includes the mechanisms that arise when frustration is manifested, as well as those that take place in the case of motivated activity.

Signs

The concept of frustration in psychology is closely related to the aggressive behavior of an individual. A similar connection can be traced in the concept not only of the Freudians, but also of the neo-Freudians. The idea of a connection between frustration and aggressive behavior has become widespread in other psychological approaches as well. An example of this is the typology developed by the American scientist Seoul Rosenzweig. It includes three forms of the state of frustration, each of which is characterized by aggressive manifestations. This is:

1. Extrapunitive form. It is characterized by a surge of aggression and anger at external objects. Signs in the psychology of this type of frustration are the individual's blame for his failure on other people or circumstances.
2. Intropunitive form. It is the opposite of the first. In this case, a person begins to blame himself for all the failures.
3. Impunitive form. Such a reaction to the problems that have arisen is characteristic of those people who treat all their failures philosophically. At the same time, they consider them events either inevitable or not very significant.

However, the definition of frustration in psychology is not only a state that is accompanied by aggression. The generalization of the existing approaches of this discipline led to the selection of the following reactions to this negative state:

• aggressive behavior of different directions;
• regression, which is the most primitive level of response, manifested, for example, by crying;
• detachment from the situation, which is expressed either in an attempt to justify the uselessness of goals, or in setting new tasks.

Deprivation and disappointment

The concept of frustration is often confused with other characteristics of an emotional state. Namely, with deprivation and disappointment. As well as the last of these two states, frustration appears in the absence of the expected result. However, there are some differences between these characteristics. Thus, frustrated people do not fall into despair. They continue to go to the intended goal. They do this even when they do not even know what they need to do to solve the problems that have arisen.

There are also differences between frustration and deprivation. The first of these states is associated with obstacles that arise in achieving the goal, or with unsatisfied desires. Deprivation takes place due to the absence of the object itself or the possibility of satisfaction.wishes.

Nevertheless, the main thing that becomes clear when studying books on psychology is that frustration and deprivation have a common mechanism of occurrence. You can follow the next chain here. The state of deprivation leads a person to frustration, which is the cause of further aggression. This is followed by anxiety, which causes a protective reaction of the body. In psychoanalysis, it is believed that the development of one of the elements of personality, namely the ego, begins precisely with frustration.

Behaviors

People can react to a frustrating situation in many ways.

In psychology, the following types of behavior are distinguished:

1. Aggression. This reaction is the most common. Aggressions are external (aimed at an object or strangers). Such a reaction is necessarily accompanied by disappointment, anger or irritation. There is also internal aggression. In this case, the subject itself is the cause of frustration. The aggressiveness of a person is accompanied by an experience of guilt, shame or remorse.
2. Motor excitement. A person who is in a state of tension, frustration or anger is capable of committing disorderly and aimless actions. An example of this is when he runs around the room or twists a strand of his hair around his finger.
3. Apathy. Sometimes tension can take the opposite form. The person becomes lethargic andapathetic. For example, he is able to lie down for hours and, doing nothing, look at the ceiling.
4. Escape. This reaction is not only physical. Escape can also be done psychologically. An example of this would be avoiding reading newspapers that encourage negative emotions.
5. Fixation. Sometimes a person who has a state of frustration gets fixated on something or someone. An example of this is repeated attempts to enter a certain university, constantly ending in failure.
6. Stress. Such a reaction can weaken the human body and mind. Stress and frustration in psychology are considered together. With prolonged or too much stress, people experience such physiological signals of a similar condition as headaches and general fatigue. They develop hypertension, ulcers, colitis and heart attacks.
7. Depression. This condition can affect people regardless of their age, race or culture. Depression begins to affect a person's appetite and sleep, their well-being and way of thinking, as well as interaction with other members of society.
8. Addictive behavior. It manifests itself in the abuse of alcohol and drugs, which is a futile and at the same time destructive attempt to combat frustration. This also includes eating patterns that lead to bad habits and excess weight.

Development mechanism

The word frustration from Latin is translated as "failure", "deceit", "vain expectation" and"disorder of intentions". The phases of such a state proceed as follows:

1. Goal setting. To achieve their own needs, each person limits his actions, setting himself a certain bar. At this stage, the mechanisms of frustration are launched.
2. The desire to achieve the goal. After a person decides to change his life, he actively acts for this. At this stage, a large amount of moral strength and financial resources can be expended.
3. Defeat. This stage is fundamental in the development of frustration. After all, not everyone is able to accept defeat and not break down at the same time. In this case, we can talk about a painful reaction resulting from unfulfilled hopes.

Stages of development of emotions

What will be the actions of a person in a state of frustration? It will depend on the situation he is in. In psychology, there are several stages in the development of emotions, some of which can be skipped in the case of a relieved state.

1. Aggression. It occurs almost always and sometimes is only short-term. In this case, a person may swear or stamp his foot in annoyance. Aggression during frustration can be long-term. This happens when a person began to get nervous and got very angry.
2. Replacement. At the next stage in the development of the emotional state, a person tries to get out of the current situation. He begins to invent new ways for himself to satisfy his need.
3. Offset. In cases wheresubstitution doesn't work, people start looking for the easiest way to meet their needs.
4. Rationalization. At this stage, a person begins to look for the positive aspects of what happened.
5. Regression. This is the opposite of rationalization. Regression is inherent in pessimists. Such people begin to worry and lament, thus expressing their emotions.
6. Stress, depression. This stage is characterized by a sharp decline in mood, which is quite difficult to restore. This stage does not always occur in people.
7. Fixation. This emotional stage is the final one. When fixing, a person makes the necessary conclusions for himself, which allow him to continue not to get into situations similar to the current one. Here there is a consolidation of thoughts and feelings about not received satisfaction.

According to psychologists, one or another type of behavior in the event of frustration does not depend on what type of unsatisfied need occurs, but on the nature of the person. In other words, the choleric will start screaming and get angry, the phlegmatic or melancholic will withdraw into himself. Sanguine is able to show his emotional state in different ways.

Pros and cons of frustration

When a person has such a condition, from what point of view should we consider it? There is no single answer to this question. Psychology considers frustration as a phenomenon that carries both negative and positive consequences.

As a positive aspect, one can consider the motivation of a person whowho takes into account all his mistakes, as well as overcoming his life's difficulties and steady movement towards his goal, regardless of the circumstances. In such cases, frustration is very beneficial.

However, when such a state is accompanied by anger, devastation, irritability or depression and leads to low self-esteem, a deterioration in the quality of life or stress, it simply cannot be called positive.

Nevertheless, frustration cannot be seen as a phenomenon that only destroys a person's life. According to many psychologists, it acts as a motivator for personal growth. And only when a person is forced to overcome difficulties and solve problems that arise before him, he becomes more independent, resourceful and ready for any surprises. In addition, frustration helps people develop activity, courage and willpower. To do this, it is important to control the emerging state, as well as to deal with those experiences that can cause various mental illnesses.

Frustration Removal

A person needs to get rid of any mental discomfort as soon as possible. After all, the emotional state has a direct impact on our he alth. It is possible to overcome frustration both at the initial stages and during an already protracted process.

If mental discomfort is accompanied by fear, pathologically depressed mood and depression, then medication is indispensable. Nootropics, antidepressants, and other sedativesdrugs will help stabilize a person's condition. However, it should be borne in mind that drug treatment alone will not allow you to get rid of the problem that has arisen. It must be used in combination with psychotherapeutic methods. At the same time, specialists can apply various directions:

1. Existential. If a person does not believe in himself for a long time, then he begins to gradually lose the meaning of life. When applying the existential direction, specialists try to give their patient an orientation towards acceptance of reality, helping him to deal with the negative consequences of the work of the mechanisms that protect the personality.
2. Positive psychotherapy. A similar direction is used to adapt the individual to emerging problems. The main concept of this direction is the assertion that each person is important to society, with all its shortcomings, virtues and experience. Using this technique, the therapist delimits a person from his unmet need. At the same time, the patient processes the situation that has arisen, which has become the cause of mental discomfort.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Such a direction allows a person to gain the skills to adapt to the social situation that is developing around him. The patient in this case learns to be aware and monitor his thoughts that cause him anxiety.
4. Psychodrama. This direction in working with patients suffering from frustration is one of the most effective. Psychodrama allows a person to see himself and his problem withsides. After that, it becomes easier for him to realize the obstacles that have arisen on the way to the goal and correct his behavior.